The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-01-01
A Wife's Story

ryY" ! SAID, as | saw my husband one
evening putting on his overcoat after
tea.
ayes, was the reply.
~ wish you would take me-" an
swered.
"Really, Mary, think home is the
proper place for d mother"
"But one OF my sisters would look
after the children. | do SO want TO
hsar this great ltcturer."
''Tell the truth, have but one tick.
ct, was the reply, as he went out of
he door, "and | don't think can af.
ford to buy another"
My husband and had been married
for several years. Before the marriage
he had been unusually attentive, even
for lover, and if another gentleman
spoke to me he wac Jealous. When
there was q lecture or concert any
where he always took me. If | was in.
vited to party he was only too glad
to attend me. But now "parties are
bore" he says, she can't think why
women wish To go to them" Then he
was all affection. Now he acts as if he
would lower his dignity to show his
love for me Or my children, and if
offer HIM kiss or caress he is almost
certain to refuse me. | cannot COM
plain that he negects his more oh.
vious duties. He gives me plenty of
money for dress, lives well, and is even
talking OF buying a new house But
he seems to think wife has no bust
ness with anything but housekeeping,
and never needs change OF scene or
other recreation.
Whats the use of a woman" he
says, "going about? Home is the
place for her"
1t may be SO, but after hard davis
work | often feel as if q walk in the
fresh air or q visit to neighbours
would be g. real blessing. | said to
him the other evening when he was
going out again:
"Won't you stay at home, Harry,
to oblige me? Just this once. / am
so lonely!"
"Lonely?" was his answer. Chow
can you be lonely with the children ?"
"But they are abed. And recollect
| see nobody day in and day out.
Can't you do it to please me--for this
once?" / could hardly speak. 1t
was as much as l could do to keep the
tears from coming, his conduct seemed
so cruel.
"The fact is," he replied, "I'm dead
beat with working all day and must
90 out TO get frightened up a little.
You women never make allowance for
man" And he went out quite
Grossly.
Never make allowance? IL the hus-
band is worried with business, and |
do not doubt it, is not wife worried
with housekeeping Are the servants
and children and sickness no trouble?
And is q woman differently consti.
tuted from q man so that the recrea-
ton which one considers indisp ensable
to himself is Of no use to the other?
Glow your complexion has gone"
said my husband to me the other day.
at seems + me that in this climate
woman is Old at 80"
Again the tears came In my eyes.
Harry did not mean to he unkind; he
vas only thoughtless. Bat why had
{ lost my complexion? Can woman
live forever In rooms heated with hot
air, never going out except on some
erraHd, and then hurrying home IS
soon as the errand is done, without
losing her complexion? Is it the eli
mate or her node of life that makes
her old before her time? 1t was on my
tongue to say these things, but | re-
Trained. | have learned that 'silence
is golden"
"How / wish / had something to
read" said yesterday. 81 think If
had new book now aud then the
evenings when you are out, Harry,
would not be so long"
"Books cost too muC money in times
like these" answered my husband. 81
should think your sewing would amuee
you enough. To get bread for his
family and lay by little for a rainy
day is as much as prudent man can
do nowadays" And as he spoke he
lit his cigar and went out.
Will men never understand women +?
Will they ever see their own selfishness
in its true light? These thoughts rose
to my mind as / reflected with q sign
that g. 1.-THE OF the money which Harry
spent on cigars would buy all the new
books | wished.
Yet Harry does not mean to be I'M
kind. He saw his mother treated as
he treats me, and he thinks / have no
right to complain. Perhaps | have
not. But, oh! how much happier
would be if things we're different.
Are women only machines to sew,
darn, sweep, dust, bake bread, take
care ofchildren and keep house? Have
they no need of recreation? No
higher nature that is starved by q lie
like mine?
There is no contention between
Harry and me. But his love now Is,
it seems to me, very different thing
from what it seemed before marriage.
Is my fate the fate OF all2 Is every
wife like me when ten years married
North American.
Selecting Oak Timber.